Graham's final mission advances as Senate moves to crush Putin's war machine with Russia, Iran sanctions

The Senate took another small step toward levying sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin and Iran in another massive, bipartisan vote.

Though not the final vote to pass the long-stalled effort, the latest successful bid to move a bone-crushing sanctions package once championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham is no less significant.

The upper chamber hopes to complete work on the package, renamed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, by next week. If successful, the long-awaited legislation will again be put on the shelf, albeit temporarily, until the House returns from its August recess.

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Still, lawmakers are confident that they can get the bill through the next few hurdles and believe that it’s the best way to honor Graham, who made his final trip home to South Carolina on Wednesday for his funeral.

"This may turn out to be Lindsey Graham's greatest legislative achievement in a stellar 32-year career," Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said.

The bill, which has gone through several iterations, still focuses on kneecapping Putin’s war machine in its ongoing fight with Ukraine. However, it reinserts sanctions targeted at Iran’s weapons and energy sectors in the hopes of incentivizing a lasting peace deal as the war in the Middle East marches on.

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Key components of the legislation allow for up to 500% tariffs on Russian imports, tariffs of up to 100% on countries buying Russian energy, like China and India, and provides President Donald Trump flexibility for when to turn off some aspects of the sanctions.

Some Democrats have acknowledged that giving Trump tariff authority could give their colleagues heartburn, particularly after raging against his usage of duties during his second term.

Proponents of the bill brought in heavy artillery to convince Democratic skeptics in the form of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a close ally of Graham’s, to win some key votes for the package.

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Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said on the Senate floor that she was aware that some had raised concerns about the tariff authorities.

"They say that President Trump has used tariffs indiscriminately to target our closest allies. Well, I agree," Shaheen said.

"But in the case of this bill, Congress is explicitly directing these tariffs for one unambiguous purpose: to increase the pressure on Vladimir Putin and end his unprovoked war against Ukraine," she continued. "That’s why this bill is narrowly targeted at the worst actors supporting Russia."

And at its core, the legislation is still meant to send Putin and the Kremlin a strong message as the war in Ukraine rages on.

"This bill says to Vladimir Putin, ‘Your days of war are numbered. You are on the losing side. Better to come to the table now than sacrifice more lives, waste more money, crater your economy, destroy your standing in the world,’" Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said.